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Improving Communication During a Pandemic Flu Outbreak

NCT03431012 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 349

Last updated 2019-12-16

Study results available
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Summary

During the last pandemic influenza antivirals were prescribed both as prophylaxis and treatment. However, adherence rates were suboptimal. This study assessed the effect of theory-based and evidence-based health messages, which promoted the use of antivirals as prophylaxis for pandemic influenza, on intentions to use antivirals. Using hypothetical scenarios, the investigators tested whether written health communications about pandemic flu and recommended preventative medication (i.e. a prophylactic treatment with antivirals) had an effect on study participants' beliefs about the pandemic flu and the advice received, and their intention to adhere to the recommendation. In particular, the investigators assessed the behavioural impact of health messages presented in four different linguistic formats, defined by a 2×2 (agency assignment × attribute framing) factorial design. The originality of this study relies on the attempt to maximise the behavioural impact of written health messages by combining the agency assignment and attribute framings, which have never been tested together, and by systematically targeting specific predictors of adherence intentions through these messages. The findings of this study may be used to improve the behavioural impact of health communications to the general public in case of a pandemic flu outbreak in the UK.

Conditions

  • Healthy

Interventions

OTHER

Agency Assignment framing

Linguistic framing used in written health messages. Each version of the messages described the pandemic flu and the efficacy of the antivirals using linguistic expressions that assigned transmission to either humans (HA: 'You can contract the virus when you touch…') or the pandemic flu virus itself (VA: 'It can infect you when you touch…')

OTHER

Attribute framing

Linguistic framing used in written health messages. Each message described the side effects of the antivirals in terms of chances of either experiencing (negative framing: 'Uncommon side effects (10% of people will be affected)') or not experiencing side effects (positive framing: 'Uncommon side effects (90% of people will not be affected)') after using them.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute for Health Research, United Kingdom

    collaborator OTHER_GOV

  • Public Health England

    collaborator OTHER_GOV

  • King's College London

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Donatella D'Antoni · King's College London

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Model
FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2016-05-26
Primary Completion
2016-06-08
Completion
2016-06-08

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03431012 on ClinicalTrials.gov